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: onion & spice chutney

I am naming this ‘onion AND spice’ because both get the starring role in this recipe.

At one point, right after the spices were added, I thought I smelled Christmas.These are all the holiday spices we cook with this time of year. It’s such a homey aroma.

What prompted me to make this was my husband bringing home a 10 lb bag of onions. When he seen my raised eyebrows, he just shrugged and said, “the 10 lb bag cost the same as the 3 lb” We are learning this is not uncommon in rural areas. We get great local produce for cheap! So..I began caramelizing the onions…

Choose a large pan or wok for this. Not non-stick,or the onions won’t caramelize properly.

What you are left with is a chutney that is sticky, sweet, and spicy. This would be great on burgers, sandwiches, and an added flavour to stews and meats. It makes 10- 125 ml jars, or approximately 5 total cups of chutney.

Ingredients:

6 lbs onions (peeled and thinly sliced)

2 cups brown sugar

4 tablespoon olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

1 teaspoon ground cloves

3 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup apple cider vinegar

Method:

In a large wok or pan, heat the oil. Add onions and cook for 4 minutes.

Add vinegar, lemon juice and spices and cook for 2 minutes.

At this point your house will smell amazing! Who needs expensive scented candles?

Add sugar and then simmer on low, uncovered, for about 2 hours, until the onion is soft and the liquid is reduced. Stir occasionally, scraping up the nice caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan.

Funnel into hot, sterilized jars. Place sterile lids and tighten the rings. Allow to cool undisturbed for several hours. Check for proper seal and then label.